Diversity • Equity • Inclusion

Mission: Cultivate prosperity and liberation for students and staff by removing barriers, increasing access and inclusion, building trusting relationships, and creating a shared culture of social responsibility and organizational accountability.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Howard

With Students:

Students have organized and participated in school wide celebrations of culture and diversity. In affinity groups students are provided a “safe space” to explore issues of shared identity, experience and affirm emotional and intellectual responses, embrace different parts of one’s identity, and create a better sense of belonging. In groups, such as Ladies Club, Christian Club, Black Student Union, and LGBTQ+ Club, students have attended, planned and participated in district-wide events and community based activities such as:

• District Unity Day
• Ronald McDonald House 5K
• University of Delaware’s ‘Hola’ organization meetings
• Black Student Union Summit
• Student Task Force End of Year Reunion

Student Diversity Task Force

NCCVT's Student Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Group, affectionately called “Forever a Movement” (FAM), has been meeting to develop their voices as leaders and advocates to enact change at NCCVT and beyond. This task force has focused on meaningful advocacy, goal setting, and district-wide collaboration leading to improved diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our community. 

Student Diversity Task Force Goals:

• To offer a safe place for courageous conversations in affinity groups and in other peer to peer interactions
• To serve as a liaison between students and administration to help build and convey student voice
• To interrupt racial tension and unconscious biases within our school.
• To educate students on the benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion 
• To help create and sustain a community rooted in trust and respect.

With Staff:

Howard staff are committed to providing students with an equitable opportunity to become independent and responsible learners capable of inquiry, reflection, thinking critically, problem-solving, and transferring their knowledge and skills to real-world challenges. To accomplish this we acknowledge we must possess the knowledge to build our awareness of issues of equity in our school, develop the skills that support the application of this knowledge in our practice and spheres of influence, and demonstrate the mindset that our growth and learning is central to our work as educators and staff.

 

Our work is guided by a school based DEI Team. This team engages in ongoing professional learning, reflection, and surveying to ensure staff wide learning is responsive, sustainable, engaging and transformative.

 

Dr. Tamara McDermott, DEI Supervisor ([email protected])

Mr. Anthony Reid, M.Ed., Diversity and Equity Coordinator([email protected]

 

With Community, Family, and Outside Support:

Parents Association?

(do we have a PTA or some way that parents and families are connected?) 

Additional resources (link)

Who are the supporters of our mission, our learning, and our work? 

• The Howard Group, and Equity and Beyond partnerships

• Provide training and guidance to the Howard staff  needed to increase knowledge, shift our thinking, and elevate our understanding of racial equity. 
• Lead and facilitate school professional development focusing on equity and inclusion.

• LoriLSpeaks!: Lori Hayes, NCCVT Student Equity Task Force Facilitator

• Leadership and advocacy training for student diversity/equity task force
• Collaborates with FaM student group and district FaM advisors to create actionable plans and events

• FAM “Forever a Movement” Student Diversity Task Force

• Communicate with school level SDEC and DEI admin
• Supervise, implement, and evaluate FAM events.

• FAM Advisors

• Create and implement events, programs, affinity groups through collaborative efforts and planning with FaM advisors and LoriLSpeaks!
• Example events: HBCU Event, Black Business Expo, Ladies Night “Women of NCCVT Panel Discussion”

• Ongoing Business and Organization Partnerships

• Providing consultation and training to our DEI team, providing professional development to faculty, collecting and analyzing data, and providing activities to be adopted or adapted for use in professional learning communities to sustain the professional development delivered.
• Conducting focus groups (with staff and/or students) to gather data as it relates to diversity, inclusion, and equity.
• Speaking with staff and/or students in order to challenge or deepen thinking

NCCVT is committed to fostering a strong community by respecting, promoting, and prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion. We will explore and address any instances of systemic inequality and/or discriminatory practices and policies. We will honor the uniqueness of each individual and embrace diverse backgrounds and values.

Core Beliefs: We acknowledge, respect, and support the diversity and life experiences of all NCCVT community members by:

• Acting with integrity
• Agreeing to work collaboratively
• Listening and learning through community engagement

Howard High School of Technology is by no means claiming to be an expert in diversity, equity, and inclusion. This page serves as a declaration of our intention to learn and grow every day in order to become better allies, anti-racists, and supporters of social justice.